Super fun weekend - Vegas baby!

Last week was Paul's 38th birthday! (May 8th) We celebrated by going to dinner at Mo' Betta, a Hawaiian bbq joint in Bountiful.  We love their teriyaki chicken and steak that comes with rice and a salad.  I gave Paul a couple of polo style shirts and a silver pocket watch.  After dinner we ran a few errands and then headed home.  Once home I asked Paul to wait in our bedroom while I got his surprise ready.  I set up my massage table, lit some candles and then let him know he could come in.  I gave him a great massage.  We both enjoyed it thoroughly.

May10th
We started our weekend early by attending the wedding of my nephew Jeffrey and his cute bride Mary Ann.    They were married in the Salt Lake temple.  What a beautiful day!  I love being in the temple with Paul, and being reminded that we get to be together for all eternity.  What a blessing! Jeff was so handsome and sweet to Mary Ann.  I love the look of love...you know, the way a man looks at a woman when he truly loves her.  I loved being there to witness their sealing.  I am so grateful for Heavenly Father's plan and for the love he has for us that he let's us be together forever and husband and wife.  That there is no, "until death do us part" in the temple.  After some picture on the temple grounds, we headed to a luncheon at my parents ward house.  Yummy chicken salad sandwiches, salads, chips and a fabulous dessert. My brother Gordon and his wife Kristine are such great parents.  They have and are doing such a great job raising their family.  You can tell by the gratitude and love their children have for them.

May 11th-13th
This past weekend Paul and I took a little get away, motorcycle trip to Fabulous Las Vegas.  Paul's birthday was on the 8th and we wanted to celebrate by doing one of our favorite things - tour on the bike.  We are still deciding on what kind of tour bike to get so Paul rented a Harley for the weekend.  A silver and dark blue with little flecks that made it sparkle motorcycle was our transportation.  We stopped in Sandy at the Harley shop to get the rear shocks filled and Paul told me to go pick out a jacket.  So I am the proud owner of my very own riding jacket.  It is black and has a cool design and a really great red liner that is removable too.  I love it! We took our time riding and the weather was nice.  As we entered Hurricane, Washington and St. George holy cow...talk about a heat wave.  We stopped took the liners out of our jackets, drank some water and had ice cream. We took some deep breaths and got back on the bike.  Our ride into Vegas was beautiful, but I won't lie, it was hot!

By the time we got to the Excalibur, the bike was so hot.  We checked in and took cool showers.  Becky and the kids were as excited to see us as I was to see them so we headed over to Beck's house shortly thereafter.  She made us a yummy pasta and salad dinner.  I love Rebecca!  The kids were so cute and hugged both Paul and I as we came through the door. We had fun talking, eating, watching, The Princess Bride and making plans for the next day.  Becky cut Paul's hair too.  We were a bit tired so we didn't stay long.  We rode back to our hotel and went right to sleep.

 The next morning Paul and I went to breakfast and then went over to the Luxor to go to the Titanic exhibit.  It was really amazing.  There were all kinds of artifacts that had been pulled from the ocean depths.  Dishes, silverware, playing cards, leather bags, jewelry, metal vent grates, floor tiles, a tiny pair of glasses, tweezers, and a huge piece of the ship. The exhibit was set up in a way that I felt such a quiet reverence.  They showed 1st, 2nd and 3rd class cabins and replicated the grand stairwell.  They even had a chilly balcony with a starry night sky.  There was a huge piece of ice to feel the temp. of the water that At the beginning they gave us all a ticket with an actual Titanic passenger's name on it, what class their ticket was for and a short bio.  At the end of the exhibit there is huge wall that lists each class and who survived and who died.  Both mine and Paul's tickets had people who died.  It was kind of a sad and a huge realization of how many really did not survive that fatal night.  I am so glad we went.

After our dramatic exhibit visit, we met Rebecca and the kids up at our room to get ready to go to the pool. We changed and walked down.  The pool area was huge.  There were 4 different pools, one with a water slide, one that was like a foot deep for little little kids and one that was basically a huge jacuzzi and one adult only pool (where they let the partyers can take their drinks in the pool).  They had a DJ playing music.  It was pretty packed when we got there and it took a few minutes to find a home base with some chairs but, knowing Becky she did it.  The kids loved swimming and loved the water slide.  Carter is hilarious and loved jumping into the water to Paul. Marin is so cute and had fun helping watch the kids and taking Carter on the water slide.  Janet is sweet and swam for a while then would go cuddle with her mama.  We spent about 3 hours at the pool and had a ball.  Paul even took a short nap on a lounge chair.

That evening we went to the Tournament of Kings with Rebecca and the kiddos.  We sat in the Russia section.  We were served a small chicken, a few potatoes, some broccoli, and a biscuit. They did not give us  silverware, we got to eat with our hands.  Paul and I got pina coladas in the cool, take home, silver goblets.  Merlin welcomed us as Ladies and Lords.  The show was great!  Horses, sword play, kings, knights, jousting, death, fire, dragons. It was so fun to especially watch Janet and Carter's faces. We ended the evening by going to the Belagio and to the Paris for a yummy dessert.

Sunday morning we had breakfast at Becky's and then hit the road.  Just before we left Vegas we stopped by a Harley shop.  Paul bought the device for the rear shocks and a denim Harley vest.  We looked pretty hard core in our gear.

When we got to Cedar City, we headed West. It was fun to be on a country road and see something other than highway.  We stopped in small towns, saw a few antelope, and enjoyed the scenery.  We rode through Delta, where Paul went high school.  He even drove past the high school :0 We headed to Lemington to where Paul's Aunt Marsha lives.  Uncle Dan had already gone work so we didn't get to see him.  Marsha made us dinner of ham, potato salad and rolls.  She loves to talk and is so energetic.  I really like her.  I also met Paul's cousin Dawn (Marsha's daughter).  After our visit we headed home via Tooele.  The last two and a half hours were dark and cold.  Finally at 12:15am we arrived home.

Hooray!!! What a wonderful trip!!  We loved the time we spent together and with Beck and the kids!! Yay!!

Ask and ye shall receive - recap from May 17, 2010

  I posted this ** May 17, 2010, roughly a year before meeting my sweet, darling, amazing husband.  This seriously gives new meaning to, "Ask and ye shall receive...".  I know the Lord knows  the desires of each of our hearts.  We get to do our part and tell him what we want and he will give it to us if it is the best thing for us.  Also, in HIS time, not ours.  Sometimes he wants us to learn patience or there are other things we need to do before we get what we ask for.  I am so grateful for Paul. He IS this man I asked for, prayed for.  I thank the Lord each day for sending him to me.  

**I have always known.

It's now more clear than ever.

I deserve. . .

A man that is kind, loving and thoughtful.

A man that loves me completely with all of my crazy quirks.

A man that loves my loud laugh and that I get excited over the simple, silly things.

A man that loves God and knows his purpose and supports me in mine.

A man that lays next to me watching me sleep and can't wait for me to wake up and smile at him.

A man that is successful, confident and driven.

A man that wants to have babies and raise a family with me.

A man that is romantic and that treats me like a queen and a goddess

A man that knows his worth.

A man that wants to spend time with me as well as has his own interests and gives me personal time.

A man that is creative and willing to share his talents.

A man that loves my body no matter it's shape but most of all loves my soul.

A man that wants to love me, and only me forever.

I know he is out there.

I know he is on his way to me.

He is my soulmate.

Darling, I am here.

Praying for you, searching for you, attracting you, sending you loving energy.

Staying Busy!

The weeks that my Paul is gone, I try to keep myself busy, hence the time goes by more quickly.  This weekend was one of those fun, busy weekends that was filled with spending time with some of my favorite people.
 Friday night after work I went to see sweet Milly before she had to go on her weekend visit with her dad. I loved it because when I first entered the house, she saw me and came running to give me a big hug. She is still such a cute, loving, sweet, little girl.  I love her so much and am so glad she still loves me too. After Milly was picked up, Jenna and I went and enjoyed a lovely dinner with our friend Kristal at Iggy's.  We laughed and talked.  I love that I can tell Jenna something and her point of view is so helpful to me.  She helped me think through some things and prevented me from some pretty unnecessary situations :) I know I can be a bit irrational about things sometimes, its nice to know I someone I can vent to and can talk me down from my craziness.

Saturday was such a great day.  I spent the afternoon with Craig and his awesome kids Alex, Nathan and Elyse.  We hung out at the "conda" (that's what Nathan calls it), then went to the zoo.  I loved seeing all of the animals.  The baby elephant was my favorite.  So big but still a baby :) I also loved these hilarious monkeys, that were black and had this long, bushy white tail.  They played on their ropes and in the trees, played chase with each other.  One of them kept pulling the other's tails and then running off.  It was so funny to watch.  I also loved hearing the kids and their reactions to the animals.  Children really just say whatever they want  - which is usually the truth.  We had a lot of fun taking pictures too.  The Hogle has some really great sculptures and of course this lion drinking fountain.  The lion's mouth is open and you have to stick your head in his mouth to take a drink.  Craig decided we would have a progressive lunch. So at the zoo we ate some really yummy churros and then about and hour later we ate some nachos.  On the way down the hill we stopped and got a pizza and some bread sticks.  We had a picnic on the roof floor of the new Harmon's parking lot, which is located right in the middle of the city.  The views are fantastic!  Craig had a blanket in the car.  The sun was warm but not too hot.  Of course we took more pictures ;) then we finished our progressive meal off by having the most delicious gelato inside of Harmon's.  What a fun afternoon!! I love that Craig loves to have adventures with his kiddos.  They really know he loves them.  I loved being included in their day of adventure, I definitely felt loved.

Saturday night my sweet friend and co-worker Lauren invited me to go with her to a Salt Lake ReAL soccer game.  It was a nail biting, exciting game.  ReAL won 3-2!  I had a great time with Lauren.  She and I have a lot in common and we always laugh a lot.  It was great!

Sunday after church my sis-in-law Kristine invited me to come over for dinner.  So Luna and I went and had a fun afternoon with some family.  I had such a great time.  It was just what I needed.  I am so grateful for family that loves me and is mindful of me and my needs even when I don't voice them.  While I was at Gordon and Kristine's, Gordon got a text that mom had a heart attack at the airport in Colorado and was taken by ambulance to a hospital in Aurora, CO.  What a scary feeling. My mother is only 70 years old.  That is too young to die and I am not ready for that.  She still needs to meet my babies and love on them. She had an cardiogram and all is well now but she indeed had a heart attack.

 I love my Paul so much. He will be home in just 4 days, and I can't wait!!

Yesterday, there was some amazing, beautiful 80 something degree weather when I got finished with work. So I sped home, changed, got the Luna and headed to Tanner Park for an off leash walk/hike. We had so much fun and the sun felt SOOOOOO GOOOOD!   There were so many dogs and so many different breeds. Weimeraners, golden retrievers, labs, pugs, poodles, Australian shepherds, beagles, ect.  All so excited to be outside in the sunshine, in the water, playing fetch with sticks and balls and to be off their leashes :) I love observing people and the type of dog they choose to have.   People were so funny when they saw Luny.  They loved how small she was and that she was just plugging along. 

After our hike, we drove up to the Sons of the Utah Pioneers building where Mountain Jubilee Chorus was doing their competition preview performance.  They will compete in Colorado this weekend.  Mom has sung with the chorus on and off for 40 years.  She says that singing with the chorus is and was cheaper than therapy.  Mom's chorus sings music in 4 part harmony.  Mom sings the bass part. The parts can sound funky by themselves, but when sung together, the harmonies are amazing.  I still get chills when I hear mom's chorus sing.   I even got a little teary.  I think because of the nostalgic factor.  I remember at a little girl hearing mom practice with her practice tape.  And Tuesday nights have always been chorus rehearsal night for mom.  When the chorus sings, I swear I can hear my mother's voice.  I love to hear my momma sing.  In fact for Mother's Day this year, I am taking my mom to a recording studio to record all of the songs that she used to sing to us when we were younger.  My earliest childhood memory is of my mother singing me to sleep.  I am so excited.  I don't know if this is more for her or me :)

Serving in the kingdom

I never in 5,000 million years thought I would have so much fun doing my Visiting Teaching.  Last night I went with my companion Eugenia Perez and enjoyed myself so much.  Eugenia an older lady from Guatemala, who speaks Spanish and only a few words and phrases in English.  She lives here with her two grandchildren Alex and Mayali.  Her daughter Ana is stuck in Guatemala trying to get her visa/immigration paperwork figured out, so she can return here to Utah.  Eugenia is such a sweetheart and longs for her daughter to return, whilst staying strong so she can take care of her grandchildren.   She is a wonderful cook and loves to cook for others. Her sons also help her out.  Eugenia almost always has a smile on her face.  Our paths crossed when I was asked to translate for her in Relief Society.  Her visiting teacher asked me to come to their visit to translate too. Let's just say I became her unofficial translator.  I adore her. She has the most loving, contagious, smile.

Eugenia and I first visited Andrea and her daughter Tonia.  Tonia is 18 and has down syndrome.  Andrea is the mother of four, the youngest two are twins.  She is a very smart and interesting woman who has put herself and her family on a gluten-free diet.  She is a sweet mommy who also acts as an activist for Tonia - she has fought for integration and involvement and for her to be treated like a normal kid (within reason).  Andrea loves to talk and talk and talk.  One of those people that just needs to be listened to.  We finally had to excuse ourselves to get to our next visit. Nonetheless, one of our sisters that needs our love and kindness. I am excited to be able to serve her in the future.

We then went to visit Kerri, who is an elementary school teacher that will be retiring at the end of this school year.  She has older children and grandchildren, who mostly live out of state. Kerri's garden is gorgeous.  She grows  Her husband is a hunter and there are birds and animal heads displayed in their home (kind of cool, kind of creepy).  Kerri is darling and I just love her.  She was so grateful for our visit and thanked us for coming.

Our last sister is Monica Perez.  There is no phone number for her on file and so we just decided to swing by to visit her.  There was no answer so we left a note and a treat for her.  Hopefully we will get to meet and visit her in the future.

We left each sister with a prayer and hugs.

When I got home I felt so good. Happy. Like my evening was well spent.  I am so excited to continue to serve these women, my sisters and to spend time with Eugenia each month, serving her so that she can serve too.

Paul is back at work again.  Man, I miss him when he is gone.  Don't get me wrong, I am so grateful he has a good job and make a great living for our family. I just miss waking up with him and going to bed with him and laughing with him and having meals with him.  But I guess it would be a problem if I didn't miss him :)


We had so much fun going for motorcycle rides, out to dinner, to the ReAl game, taking Luna for walks, having movie night at home, going to Redvale for our reception, going to the movies, and making plans for his next R & R home (among other things). 


I LOVE HIM

poetry I love

I love poetry! Especially love poetry! The kind of poetry that make you think of that special person in your world. The kind that makes you want almost melt into them. If you have never read poetry by Pablo Neruda, I highly recommend it. He is magical! Here is one of my fav's:

I Crave Your Mouth, Your Voice, Your Hair

I crave your mouth, your voice, your hair.
Silent and starving, I prowl through the streets.
Bread does not nourish me, dawn disrupts me, all day
I hunt for the liquid measure of your steps.

I hunger for your sleek laugh,
your hands the color of a savage harvest,
hunger for the pale stones of your fingernails,
I want to eat your skin like a whole almond.

I want to eat the sunbeam flaring in your lovely body,
the sovereign nose of your arrogant face,
I want to eat the fleeting shade of your lashes,

and I pace around hungry, sniffing the twilight,
hunting for you, for your hot heart,
like a puma in the barrens of Quitratue.


Translated by Stephen Tapscott

Pablo Neruda